Kane, England play Ghana at the World Cup: prediction, team news, lineups

Harry Kane’s England and Ghana meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group L, with the winner advancing to the round of 32.

The 2026 World Cup will have 13 different kickoff times. You can use the Al Jazeera Sport widget to find out exactly when your team is playing in your local time.

After showcasing their attacking swagger in an entertaining World Cup opener, title contenders England face Ghana, looking to secure a spot in the round of 32.

Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford made England fans ecstatic with their goals in the 4-2 win over Croatia, but cracks at the back have raised questions about the team’s defensive fragility.

Ghana, on the other hand, had a more disciplined and well-balanced display in their 1-0 win over Panama. The Black Stars are looking to advance to the knockouts for the first time in 16 years.

Here is all you need to know about England vs Ghana before the fixture:

The Three Lions dominated headlines in the British media with their thrilling win over Croatia, the 2018 runners-up and one of international football’s most consistent tournament performers.

Midfielder Declan Rice said England’s second-half performance against Croatia has set the “benchmark” for the team, which is aiming to end its 60-year drought for a World Cup trophy.

“We believe that if we can do that from the opening minute, with the players that we also have to come on and finish the game, we can beat any opponent in the world.

“We want to be confident in our abilities and what we can do on the pitch.”

England, though, will be wary of the threat posed by Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo, the London-born winger who is the focal point of the Black Stars’ attack.

Ghana are facing England for the first time at a World Cup, and victory would confirm their spot in the knockouts for the first time since their memorable quarterfinal run at the 2010 edition.

Does the prospect of facing one of the title favourites make things difficult for Ghana?

“This is the easiest type of match, because when you’re about to play against England, France or Germany, you don’t need to say anything to the players. They’re fully motivated,” said coach Carlos Queiroz.

“Everybody is fully switched on, and everybody wants to perform well.

“We know they have the three lions on their shirt, but we come from Ghana and have 33 million lions… to fight for this game,” he added.

Stats provider Opta’s supercomputer has handed England a whopping 78.8 percent probability of winning against Ghana, who have a mere 7.9 percent chance of winning. There is a 13.3 percent probability of a draw.